Integrated Passive Circuit Elements for Sensing Devices

1. A capacitive sensor comprising: a substrate having a surface; a touch-sensing pattern of metallic conductive traces disposed upon the surface of the substrate; and a first passive circuit element comprising a metallic conductor disposed upon the same surface of the substrate, wherein the first passive circuit element comprises an inductor comprising a conductive trace substantially following a spiral path.

2. A capacitive sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a visible light transparent substrate.

3. A capacitive sensor according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises a transparent polymer.

4. A capacitive sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing pattern of metallic conductive traces and the metallic conductor of the first passive circuit element comprise the same material.

5. A capacitive sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the sensing pattern of metallic conductive traces and the thickness of the metallic conductor of the first passive circuit element are substantially the same.

6. A capacitive sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the first passive circuit element further comprises a resistor or a capacitor comprising metal traces.

7. A capacitive sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the resistor comprises a mesh of metallic traces.

8. A capacitive sensor according to claim 7 , wherein the mesh comprises metallic traces having a width of less than about 2 microns.

9. A capacitive sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the resistor has a resistance of from about 1 ohm to about 1,000 ohms.

10. A capacitive sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the capacitor has a capacitance value of from about 1 picofarad to about 200 picofarads.

11. A capacitive sensor according to claim 6 , wherein the inductor has an inductance value from about 0.01 henry to about 1.00 henry.

12. A capacitive sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional passive circuit elements comprising metallic conductor disposed upon the same surface of the substrate.

13. A capacitive sensor according to claim 12 wherein the one or more additional passive circuit elements form at least a portion of an electronic circuit.

14. A capacitive sensor according to claim 13 , wherein the electronic circuit functions as a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, or a band-pass filter.

15. A capacitive sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the low-pass filter substantially filters out high frequencies above about 100 kHz.

16. A capacitive sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the metallic conductive traces, the metallic conductor of the passive circuit element, or both comprise copper, silver, gold, or combinations thereof.